canon rumors FORUM

If you want to stay in Banff National Park, may I suggest INSTEAD of staying in Banff itself, but rather stay in Canmore which is a 30 minute drive (or so) outside of town.There are over 50 hotels and bed and breakfasts to stay in there and the VIEW is STUNNING. Prices usually are about $90 CAN ($70 US) in the GOOD but cheaper places

I like the Silver Creek Lodge for its NICE and NEW amenities and it was SOOO MUCH QUIETER at night than the ones on the main highway:

NOW if you want TRULY CHEAP but still good then as an avid mountain-hiker, etc...all the "Sporty Types" like to stay in the Bow Valley Motel. This is where the extreme skiers, mountain bikers, kayakers, etc. stay who have INTERESTING stories to tell...The rooms are BASIC but clean and VERY INEXPENSIVE compared to everywhere else!

For decent food, ANY one of the diners and hotel cafes on the main drag will do! They are almost ALL very good and some are very much world class dining!

For British Columbia Lower Mainland, I would actually go on Craigslist and try to rent a suite in one of the local houses within the town of Harrison itself on OUTSIDE along riverside or near Sasquatch Provincial Park...you will definitely get better rates because the Harrison Hot Springs Resort is pretty TOP-RATED and expensive with a VERY NICE SPA!

Try and get a boat tour to Princess Louisa Inlet it is the Canadian Rainforest version of the Island of Kaui aka the Garden Island --- Princess Louisa is the Rainforest Inlet!

Otherwise, if you want WILD camping then any forest service road that is not blocked and is on CROWN LAND (i.e. not private owned) will work, so just keep driving WITH a 4x4 until you find the view you want and park off to the sideand bust out the barbecue and beer and keep your Cameras ready for getting those AWESOME photos of Sasquatch, bears or cougars!

It would be a rental car, could be an SUV if necessary, but we probably wouldn't be going on crazy dirt roads.

Well I'm not really sure where, mostly looking for ideas of great places.

This is a rough idea of a possible trip itinerary:

There is a cost implication of course, but I would strongly recommend a 4x4 if you can.

There are some fine roads in that part of the world, but there are few of them - and many, many interesting places to visit by following the lesser roads off the highways, and the weather also has a habit of occasionally depositing debris around.

Outside of the major tourist spots, you may find you wish you had a bit more traction and clearance to get to ideal spots for landscape or wildlife opportunities (and whilst you can walk off the beaten track, BEAR in mind there will be wildlife around too).

It would be a rental car, could be an SUV if necessary, but we probably wouldn't be going on crazy dirt roads.

Well I'm not really sure where, mostly looking for ideas of great places.

This is a rough idea of a possible trip itinerary:

In August you will not be needing an SUV. The roads here are paved or good quality gravel. I'd sooner spend the money on a camper van. It'll make for a much more memorable trip compared to motel rooms.

I'm not sure how much time you have, but that's an ambitious itinerary. You'll be spending a lot of time driving. Personally I'd concentrate on the Banff-Louise-Jasper road and spend most of my time there, with detours into Kananaskis and the east and west Kootenays. But I'm from Calgary so maybe I'm biased.

I see tourist buses to the Banff-Jasper highway in a day. That's just crazy. I've spent a lifetime exploring and I still haven't seen it all.

My tip: go camping at the Columbia icefield, then before dawn hike up to Wilcox Pass to watch the sunrise over the Columbia icefield. If it's a clear day your jaw will drop, guaranteed.

It would be a rental car, could be an SUV if necessary, but we probably wouldn't be going on crazy dirt roads.

Well I'm not really sure where, mostly looking for ideas of great places.

This is a rough idea of a possible trip itinerary:

In August you will not be needing an SUV. The roads here are paved or good quality gravel. I'd sooner spend the money on a camper van. It'll make for a much more memorable trip compared to motel rooms.

I'm not sure how much time you have, but that's an ambitious itinerary. You'll be spending a lot of time driving. Personally I'd concentrate on the Banff-Louise-Jasper road and spend most of my time there, with detours into Kananaskis and the east and west Kootenays. But I'm from Calgary so maybe I'm biased.

I see tourist buses to the Banff-Jasper highway in a day. That's just crazy. I've spent a lifetime exploring and I still haven't seen it all.

My tip: go camping at the Columbia icefield, then before dawn hike up to Wilcox Pass to watch the sunrise over the Columbia icefield. If it's a clear day your jaw will drop, guaranteed.

AJ, you are indeed biased. However that's not necessarily bad

As a proud Albertan I must say that I also envy BC. So much of BC is amazing and some of what's amazing the average public in Canada is unaware of, or maybe it's too wild for their taste. Of course, all of our suggestions or comments are subjective and biased. I love the interior of BC, the circle routes are cool etc. I don't like the commercial aspects of Banff while many tourists do.

The suggestion of a small motorhome or camper rental is a good one, I think. Also, as stated, should one hurry around everywhere or rather dig deeper to enjoy a smaller area. I too prefer not biting off more than I can chew.

I agree that it would be a shame not to fully explore the Jasper-Banff highway, especially for scenery and Wilcox pass is truly amazing!! But so are the amazing trails at Illecillewaet.

This is my route so far, with most of the time spent in Jasper / Banff. Any suggestions for things to see on that route, after Vancouver and before Jasper? I assumed that going north out of Vancouver instead of east would be more remote and less built up.

ethanz, well I could easily be trying to persuade you in many directions. For one thing there are highways in the interior of BC that form loops and they go to many interesting places, i.e. Barkerville. I'm presently dying to go to Bella Coola, which you could do heading north but I'm guessing you won't have time for all that is possible - there is a ton!!

If you like, do some checking of the various routes and bounce the ideas off me. I'm not the travel expert but I have been to all the places pretty much over many years.